Many aspire to be an OFW to give a brighter future for their family and we all know that it is no easy matter to process all the needed requirements and documents to get out of the country. Documents acquired from various establishments such as National Statistics Office, universities and training programs must be authenticated and red-ribboned before they are passed to the embassy of the country you are going to work in. Many seemed to think that it is quite complicated, but actually, you can easily acquire these.

How to Authenticate and Red-ribbon Your Documents for Embassy Requirements
Embassies requiring red-ribboned documents include Canada, Qatar and UAE. These countries are the usual ones Filipino’s work in as OFWs and getting your documents red ribboned is one of the first steps to do.

If you only have a couple of days to do have your documents red ribboned, bare in mind that rush means 4 to 7 working days. If you want to have these documents sent to you through DHL, it will take around two weeks depending on your location in the country. If you live around Manila it might take shorter time. Also, make sure that the documents you wanted to have red ribboned have been valid for at least three months.

College Records

There are various documents that must be red ribboned and the most common ones are the college academic records. Visit your college’s registrar’s office and get a certified true copy of your diploma, Transcript of Records, and other credentials. In our university we are suppose to bring a copy of these documents in the Registrar’s office and they will have it authenticated with the school’s dry seal and signatures. It might cause P150, but it depends on the school. Others could charge you by page of the documents you want to be certified.

Then head to Commission on Higher Education (CHED) office nearest to your location and submit the certified papers. Make sure that you keep the reference number that they will give you to claim your documents from DHL or DFA.

You can personally go to DFA to claim your papers or just have them delivered through DHL. DHL could have your document delivered in two weeks or less depending on your location.

You can also ask your university if they offer the service of sending the documents directly to the DFA for having them red ribboned without having to go to CHED. This saves time and effort.

High School Records

Visit the Registrar’s Office of your high school and have your diploma and TOR certified as a true copy. Make sure there is a dry seal of the school in each page. Make sure that you tell them that it is for red ribbon. Them head to Department of Education office and wait fo the DHL to deliver it. Make sure you have the reference number in hand.

Elementary School

The procedure is the same as the ones with college and high school records.

Professional Certificates

If you have a professional license, obtain authenticated certificates including Report Ratings, Certificate of Registration, and Certificate of Good Standing from the Professional Regulation Commission office and tell them your intent. Keep the claim stub they will give you to get the documents from DFA or DHL.

Technical Skills Certificates

If you had training such as caregiver courses or culinary, obtain the credentials such as certificates or TOR where you took the training. Go to TESDA and tell them that these must be red ribboned.

NSO Certificates

Original certificates such as Certificate of No Marriage, birth, marriage and death certificates to the DFA. Have the official receipts and Local Civil Registrar copy ready when you present the documents to have them red ribboned.

If you are unable to process your document to have them red ribboned, you can ask a family member or relative to do it for you, provided that they have an authorization letter, a copy of his/her valid ID and yours.